Footrest mounting



July 29, 1969 L, T 3,458,234

FOOTREST MOUNTING Filed Nov. E5, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. DONALD L. BATES ATTORNEYS D. L. BATES July 29, 1969 FOOTREST MOUNTING 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov.

INVENTOR.

DONALD L.. BATES Ai TORNEYS Patented July 29, 1969 3,458,234 FOOTREST MOUNTING Donald L. Bates, Columbus, Ind., assignor to Hamilton Cosco, Inc., Columbus, Ind., a corporation of Indiana Filed Nov. 3, 1966, Ser. No. 591,806 Int. Cl. A47c 7/50 U.S. Cl. 297-437 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A footrest for a stool or the like in which a compressible sleeve having a diverging frustoconical outer face is slidably mounted on a vertical supporting member. A collar is carried on the sleeve and is provided with a plurality of outwardly radiating spokes interlockingly connected to an annular foot support. The collar has a diverging frustoconical opening engageable with the outer sleeve face whereby downward movement of the collar will compress the sleeve against the supporting member to retain it and thus the collar and foot support in a fixed position with respect to said supporting member. A shoulder projects outwardly from the upper end of the sleeve for limiting the movement of the collar with respect to said sleeve.

This invention relates to a footrest for a stool or the like, and has for its objects the provision of a footrest which can be moved into an infinite number of positions of adjustment on said stool, which can be easily moved from one position of adjustment to another, which can be releasably locked in the desired position of adjustment, and which will have an attractive appearance yet prove sturdy and durable in use.

The footrest forming the subject matter of the invention is adapted to be mounted on a stool or the like having a ground-engageable base carrying a vertical support member upon which a seat is mounted. According to one form of the invention, there is provided a compressible sleeve slidably carried on said vertical support member and having a diverging outer face. A collar is movably mounted on said sleeve and is provided with a diverging opening the walls of which are adapted to bear against the outer face of said sleeve when said collar is moved downwardly with respect to said sleeve for compressing the sleeve against the vertical support member of the stool to bindingly retain the footrest in a fixed position of adjustment thereon. A plurality of spokes mounted on the collar are connected at their outer ends to an annular foot ring disposed in spaced relation to and extending around the vertical support member on the stool for vertical movement with the collar and sleeve.

Other objects and features of the invention will become more apparent from the more detailed description which follows and from the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a front elevation of a stool having a footrest embodying the invention mounted thereon;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevation of the footrest shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a vertical section of the footrest shown in FIG;2;

FIG. 4 is a horizontal section taken on the line 44 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary side elevation of a modified embodiment of the footrest shown in FIG. 2, but with portions thereof being broken away; and

FIG. 6 is a vertical section of the footrest embodiment shown in FIG. 5.

My footrest is adapted to be mounted on any type of conventional stool or the like in which there is provided a seat mounted in an elevated position above the floor on a vertical support member. As shown in FIG. 1, such a stool may comprise a ground-engageable base 10 connected to a vertical support tube 12 upon which a seat 14 is mounted.

'In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. l-4, a sleeve 16 formed from a compressible plastic material is slidably carried on tube 12. As shown, said sleeve has an outer wall 18 with a generally frustoconical configuration diverging outwardly from its upper to its lower end. The upper end of wall 18 terminates in an annular outwardly projecting shoulder 20, and the lower end of said wall terminates in an inwardly angled face 22. An annular collar'24 is slidably carried on the sleeve outer face 18. The inner wall of said collar has a frustoconical configuration diverging outwardly from top to bottom at the same angle of divergence as the sleeve wall 18. As shown in FIG. 3, the maximum diameter of the opening on collar 24 is greater than the maximum diameter of sleeve 16 and the minimum diameter of said collar opening is less than the diameter of shoulder 20. The collar can be slipped over the upper end of the sleeve 16 with the shoulder 20 compressing to permit the small diameter upper end of said collar to be snapped thereover. Said collar will then be vertically movable on the sleeve with its upward movement thereon being limited by shoulder 20 and its downward movement thereon being limited by the large diameter lower end of the sleeve wall 18.

A plurality of spokes 26 are fixedly mounted, as by welding, in arcuately spaced relation on collar 24 and radiate upwardly and outwardly therefrom. The outer ends of said spokes are notched as at 28 to define outwardly projecting tongues 30. An annular ring of metaltubing 32 extends around the tube 12 and is provided with a plurality of arcuately spaced openings 34 lockingly received on the spoke tongues 30 for mounting said ring on said spokes in spaced relation to tube 12. Conveniently, the footrest ring 32 can be further connected to the spokes as by welding.

Thus, when a downward force is applied to the collar 24, the tapered inner wall of said collar bears against the sleeve wall 18 to compress the sleeve 16 against tube 12 for bindingly retaining said sleeve and thus the entire footrest in a fixed position on said tube. If it is desired to adjust the footrest upwardly, collar 24 is merely raised upwardly on the sleeve to remove its binding forces from the sleeve. After said collar abuts the sleeve shoulder 20, further upward movement of the collar will slide the sleeve upwardly along tube 12. Conversely, if it is desired to adjust the positioning of the footrest downwardly on tube 12, collar 24 is raised slightly upwardly on sleeve 16 to remove its binding forces from the sleeve, and a downward force can then be applied to shoulder 20 to slide said sleeve and thus the entire footrest downwardly along tube 12.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6, sleeve 16' is slidably carried on the vertical support tube 12 for a stool. Said sleeve is formed from a rigid material, such as metal, and is provided with a generally frustoconical outer face 18 diverging outwardly from its upper to its lower end. The upper end of the face 18' terminates in an outwardly projecting downwardly angled shoulder 20, and the lower end of said face terminates in an outwardly projecting annular shoulder 38. As shown in FIG. 6, the central opening in sleeve 16 flares outwardly, as at 39, at the upper end of said sleeve. A collar 24 is vertically slidable on sleeve 16' with its opening having a maxmium diameter less than the diameter of sleeve shoulder 38 and a minimum diameter less than the diameter of shoulder 20. However, with shoulder 20' being angled downwardly,

said collar can be snapped thereover for mounting it on the sleeve.

As shown, the collar opening has a generally frustoconical configuration diverging outwardly from the top to the bottom of said collar. The angle of divergence of the collar opening and the sleeve outer wall 18' are equal. Thus, as said collar is moved downwardly on the sleeve, it will tend to compress the sleeve against the support tube 12. In order to increase the compressibility of the sleeve as the collar is slid downwardly on it, said sleeve is provided with a plurality of arcuately spaced slots 40 extending upwardly from its lower end.

A plurality of radially projecting upwardly directed spokes 26 are rigidly mounted, as by welding, around the collar 24 in arcuately spaced relationship. The outer ends of said spokes are notched as at 28 to provide each of said spokes with an outwardly projecting tongue 30'. An annular ring of metal-tubing 32 extends around tube 12' and is provided with a plurality of arcuately spaced slots 34' in which the tongues 30 are lockingly received. Conveniently, said spokes may be further interconnected to the ring 32 as by welding.

Thus, when a downward force is applied to the collar 24', it will bear against the tapered sleeve wall 18, and because of the sleeve slots 40, will bindingly compress said sleeve against the tube 12 for retaining the footrest in a fixed position on said tube. In order to move the footrest upwardly on tube 12, collar 24' is moved upwardly against the shoulder 20' to remove its binding forces from sleeve 16' and slide said sleeve upwardly along said tube. Conversely, to move the footrest downwardly on tube 12', the collar is moved upwardly on the sleeve and a downward force is applied to shoulder 20' to slide the sleeve downwardly along said tube.

I claim:

1. A footrest for a stool or the like having a seat carried in an elevated position on a vertical supporting member, comprising a compressible sleeve slidable along said supporting member and having a downwardly diverging tapered outer face, a collar carried on said sleeve, a plurality of spokes radiating outwardly from said collar, a foot support carried by said spokes in spaced relation to said supporting member, said collar having a downwardly diverging tapered opening the walls of which are adapted to bear against the outer face of said sleeve for compressing said sleeve against said supporting member to retain it in a fixed position thereon, and means projecting outwardly from said sleeve above said collar for engagement therewith when said foot support is moved upwardly whereby said sleeve is moved upwardly on said supporting member upon upward movement of said foot support.

2. A footrest for a stool or the like having a seat carried in an elevated position on a vertical supporting member, comprising a compressible sleeve slidable along said supporting member and having a diverging outer face, a collar carried on said sleeve, a plurality of spokes radiating outwardly from said collar, and a foot support carried by said spokes in spaced relation to said supporting member, said collar having a diverging opening the walls of which are adapted to bear against the outer face of said sleeve for compressing said sleeve against said supporting member to retain it in a fixed position thereon, said collar being slidable along said sleeve and said sleeve being provided with vertically spaced means for limiting the sliding movements of the collar thereon.

3. The invention as set forth in claim 2 with the addition that the opening in said collar has a minimum crosssectional extent less than the cross-sectional extents of said means and a maximum cross-sectional extent greater than said means.

4. A footrest for a stool or the like having a seat carried in an elevated position on a vertical supporting member, comprising a sleeve having an opening slidably received on said supporting member and a downwardly divergent outer face, annular outwardly projecting shoulders at the upper and lower ends of said sleeve with the upper one of said shoulders being angled downwardly, a plurality of arcuately spaced slots extending upwardly from the lower end of said sleeve, a collar slidably carried on said sleeve between said shoulders, said collar having a downwardly divergent opening having a minimum diameter less than the diameter of said upper shoulder and having its walls in engagement with the outer face of said sleeve for compressing said sleeve against said supporting member, a plurality of spokes radiating outwardly from said collar, and a foot support carried by said spokes in spaced relation to said supporting member.

5. The invention as set forth in claim 4 in which said sleeve opening diverges upwardly and outwardly adjacent the upper end of said sleeve.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,556,151 6/1951 Bremer 287--52.06 2,659,413 11/ 1953 Cramer 297437 3,076,668 2/1963 Famely 287-52.06 X 3,278,229 10/1966 Bates 297-437 X 3,114,578 12/ 1963 Hamilton 211182 X FOREIGN PATENTS 855,715 2/1940 France. 135,665 1902 Germany.

ROY D. FRAZIER, Primary Examiner FRANK DOMOTOR, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

